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Transgender woman played big part in radio history

August 10, 2012

(Credit: Mohr Productions)

The new documentary film “RADIO WARS” has been nominated for Best Feature Documentary by the New York City International Film Festival and will screen to audiences in NYC on Saturday, August 11 @ 9pm at the Abingdon Theatre.

RADIO WARS, directed by Sandra Mohr, features the story of Dr. Martine Rothblatt, the inventor of satellite radio, and a transgender woman.

Hidden battles

Dr. Martine Rothblatt (credit: Mohr Productions)

Soon after World War I America began its love affair with radio, unaware of the hidden battles going on behind the scenes since its inception. Who should profit from radio? Who controls its content? Whose interests are threatened as it evolves? Therein lies the conflict that has raged in a dozen arenas over the past century.

This daring film explores the controversy behind the evolution of radio, those who strove to advance the medium, those who sought to turn it to their own benefit, and those who would have destroyed it.

RADIO WARS takes audiences on the journey from radio’s beginnings to Sirius XM Satellite Radio’s modern day battle in the stars. This broadcasting clash turned traditional radio business models upside down, redefined free speech, and put a million investors on a billion dollar rollercoaster ride as the companies fought to survive.

Secret story

Howard Stern (Credit: Mohr Productions)

RADIO WARS focuses on the controversial history of satellite radio as it exposes the secret story behind the power struggles for radio dominance.

Sirius (Rothblatt’s company) and XM Satellite Radio were engaged in a heated entanglement before they became one company. Their mutual fight for survival against traditional radio, The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), and Wall Street is one of radio’s most epic battles. RADIO WARS delves deep into SiriusXM’s conflict-ridden history, from its earliest days to its darkest hour, and questions the motives of those who seek to control radio’s content in the future.

Howard Stern, Mel Karmazin, Nikola Tesla, David Sarnoff, Martine Rothblatt, and many more radio geniuses are featured in the film.

Comments (8)

As a trucker, I lo-o-ove satellite radio. The top companies are starting to provide it for their drivers and it’s great not having to constantly switch through channels and listen to your favourite stations whether you’re in the Rockies or in the NWT. Oh yeah, and NO commercials!

I have not yet seen “RADIO WARS”, but any story about the development of commercial radio would be incomplete without mention of Colin Scrimgeour from New Zealand. Scrimgeour was a pioneer of commercial radio when he purchased Radio Station 1ZB in New Zealand in 1934.He was a world pioneer of commercial radio and went on, in the late 1950′s or early 1960′s to assist Mainland China in the development and implementation of their national Television Network.Its all there on the net – do some research.

What does this have to do with being transgender? Was that an issue in the struggle? The invention of satellite radio is a major accomplishment .. independent of some of its content today. I would like to see this documentary. I would enjoy a great many of these documentaries – such as the ones having to do with the Singularity, etc. — but only a very few people ever get to see this good stuff that goes out to Film Festivals. You have to buy a ticket and be there .. they almost never post to the Internet. (Heck, I would pay a small fee to see some of these .. why don’t the Festivals stream their stuff?)

The fact that she is transgender is historically important in that it documents the diversity of the people who have made significant contributions. It’s important to those minorities in our culture who are often overlooked, devalued and even denigrated to count this person as one of a minority and how much poorer we would be without her.